Anonymous (eleventh century)
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with her hands raised before her; the “Tongues of Fire” appear above. Sigla: ̣̅ΘΥ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Bust of St Theodore in military costume holding a lance in his right hand and a shield in his left. Inscription in two columns: |Θ|ΕΟ|Ο|Ρ, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θεόδορ(ος). Border of dots.
Obverse
Bust of the Virgin with her hands raised before her; the “Tongues of Fire” appear above. Sigla: ̣̅ΘΥ̅ : Μ(ήτη)ρ Θ(εο)ῦ. Border of dots.
Reverse
Bust of St Theodore in military costume holding a lance in his right hand and a shield in his left. Inscription in two columns: |Θ|ΕΟ|Ο|Ρ, : ὁ ἅ(γιος) Θεόδορ(ος). Border of dots.
| Accession number | BZS.1951.31.5.3466 |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 22.0 mm; field: 18.0 mm |
| Previous Editions | DO Seals 7, no. 4.13 (dating the seal to the middle of the eleventh century). |
| Credit Line | Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of Thomas Whittemore. |
Bibliography
- Catalogue of Byzantine Seals at Dumbarton Oaks and in the Fogg Museum of Art, Volume 7: The Iconographic Seals (Open in Zotero)
Commentary
For the significance of the “Tongues of Fire” accompanying images of the Virgin on seals, see DO Seals 7, no. 4.5. This specimen likely dates from the middle of the eleventh century.